As you come to the city, you shall immediately find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he blesses the feast. Afterwards those who have been invited eat. And now go up, for about this time you shall find him.

And when Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah said to him, Behold the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall reign over My people.

And as to the asses which were lost to you three days ago, do not set your mind on them. For they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father's house?

And it happened when all who knew him before saw him, behold, he prophesied among the prophets. And the people said to one another, What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

And a man from there answered and said, And who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?

And he said to the sons of Israel, So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, of those who oppressed you.

And you have this day rejected your God who Himself saved you out of all your calamities and your tribulations. And you have said to Him, But set a king over us. And now present yourselves before Jehovah by your tribes and by your thousands.

And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom Jehovah has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Let the king live!

And it was so on the next day, Saul put the people in three companies, and they came into the middle of the army at the morning watch. And they killed the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And the ones who remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

And the people said to Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? Bring the men so that we may put them to death.

Behold, here I am. Witness against me before Jehovah and before His anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I received a bribe, to blind my eyes with it? And I will restore it to you.

And Samuel said to the people, It is Jehovah who made Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to Jehovah, then Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them live in this place.

And now, behold the king whom you have chosen, whom you have desired! And behold, Jehovah has set a king over you!

If you will fear Jehovah, and serve Him, and listen to His voice, and not rebel against the command of Jehovah, then both you and also the king who reigns over you shall continue following Jehovah your God.

And the day came that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, Come and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison which is on the other side. But he did not tell his father.

And Saul stayed in the edge of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men.

And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised ones. It may be that Jehovah will work for us. For there is no restraint to Jehovah, to save by many or by few.

And Saul said to the people with him, Number now and see who is gone from us. And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.

And the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before, who had gone up with them into the camp all around, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

And all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in mount Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, even they also followed them in the battle.

And one from the people answered and said, Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed is the man who eats food this day. And the people were weary.

For, as Jehovah lives, He who saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people who answered.

And the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has worked out this great salvation in Israel? Far be it! As Jehovah lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, so that he did not die.

And he gathered an army and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who spoiled them.

And Samuel said to him, Jehovah has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.

Let our lord now command his servants before you to seek out a man who knows to play on a harp. And it shall be, when the evil spirit from God is on you, then he shall play with his hand, and it shall be well with you.

And Saul said to his servants, Now look for me a man who can play well, and bring him to me.

And one of the servants answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing, and a mighty warrior and a man of battle, and prudent in speech. And he is a person of good form, and Jehovah is with him.

And Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.

And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man that has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And it shall be, the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

And David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine and takes away this shame from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?

And the people answered him in this way, saying, So shall it be done to the man who kills him.

And his oldest brother Eliab heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David. And he said, Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the naughtiness of your heart. For you have come down to see the battle.

And David said, Jehovah who has delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and may Jehovah be with you.

And the Philistine came on and drew near David. And the man who bore the shield was before him.

And David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of Jehovah of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

And David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?

Then David said to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? Or what if your father answers you roughly?

And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth under the ephod, if you will take, take it for yourself, for there is no other here except that one. And David said, There is none like that. Give it to me.

And every man in distress, and every man who had a creditor, and every man bitter of soul, gathered themselves to him. And he became commander over them. And about four hundred men were with him.

And answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

And Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who is so faithful among all your servants as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and who goes at your bidding, and who is honorable in your house?

And the king said to Doeg, You turn and fall on the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned and fell on the priests. And on that day he killed eighty-five persons who wore a linen ephod.

Stay with me, and do not fear. For he who seeks my life seeks your life. But you shall be in safekeeping with me.

Please go, make more sure, and know and see the place where his foot is. Who has seen him there? For I am told that he is very subtle.

After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog? After a flea?

And now I have heard that you have shearers. And we did not hurt your shepherds who were with us; neither was there anything missing to them all the while they were in Carmel.

And Nabal answered David's servants and said, Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? The servants who have broken away, each man from his master, have multiplied.

Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men about whom I know not where they come from?

So and more also may God do to the enemies of David, if I leave to the light of the morning any that is his of one who urinates against the wall.

Please do not let my lord regard this man of worthlessness, Nabal. For as his name is, so he is. Nabal is his name, and foolishness is with him. And I, your handmaid, did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent.

And now this blessing which your handmaid has brought to my lord, let it even be given to the young men who follow my lord.

And David said to Abigail, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me.

And blessed is your advice, and blessed are you who have kept me from coming to shed blood today, and from delivering myself with my own hand.

And truly, as Jehovah, the God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from doing evil to you, for unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely there would not have been left to Nabal by the morning light one who urinates against the wall.

And David heard that Nabal had died, and he said, Blessed is Jehovah who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil. For Jehovah has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head. And David sent and spoke with Abigail, to take her to him for a wife.

And Abigail hurried and arose, and rode on an ass, with five of her maidens who went after her. And she followed the messengers of David and became his wife.

And Saul gave his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

And David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to the camp to Saul? And Abishai said, I will go down with you.

And David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him. For who can stretch forth his hand against Jehovah's anointed and be guiltless?

And David cried to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Do you not answer, Abner? And Abner answered and said, Who are you that cries to the king?

And David said to Abner, Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? But why have you not watched over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.

And Saul said to his servants, Seek me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servant said to him, Behold, there is a woman who is a medium, at Endor.

And Saul disguised himself and put on other clothing. And he went. And two men went with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, Please divine for me calling up the dead, and bring me up the man whom I shall name to you.

And the woman said, Whom shall I bring up to you? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

And the rulers of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews doing? And Achish said to the rulers of the Philistines, Is this not David the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years. And I have not found anything evil in him from the day he fell away until today?

Is not this David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying, Saul killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

And now, rise up early in the morning with your master's servants who have come with you. And as soon as you have light, depart.

So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.

But David pursued, he and four hundred men. For two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to go over the brook Besor.

And David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. And not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.

And David came to the two hundred who were too exhausted to follow David, whom they had made also to stay at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David, and to meet the people with him. And David came up to the people, and greeted them.

And every evil and worthless man of the men who went with David answered and said, Because they did not go with us, we will not give them from a thing the spoil that we have seized, except to every man his wife and his sons. Let them take them, and go.

For who will listen to you in this matter? But as his part is that goes down to the battle, so shall be his part that stays by the stuff. They shall divide alike.

And the men of Israel beyond the valley, and who were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled and that Saul and his sons had died. And they abandoned the cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.

And David said to the young man who told him, How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?

And the young man who told him said, As I happened to be upon Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear. And, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.

And he said to me, Who are you? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

And David said to the young man who told him, From where are you? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.

Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and with delights; who put ornaments of gold on your clothes.

However he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him with the blunt end of the spear in the belly, and the spear came out behind him. And he fell down there, and died in the same place. And it happened that everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.

But the servants of David had stricken three hundred and sixty men of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, who died.

And Abner was very angry over the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, who shows kindness against Judah this day to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David? Am I a dog's head that you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman today?

And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, Deliver my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

And Abner came to David at Hebron, and twenty men came with him. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.

And Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner, who brought him again from the well of Sirah. But David did not know.

Let it whirl about the head of Joab, and on all his father's house. And let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has an issue, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls on the sword, or who lacks bread.

And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news of Saul and Jonathan came out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And as she made haste to flee he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. And Jehovah has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of his seed.

And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, and said to them, As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were he who led Israel out and brought them in. And Jehovah said to you, You shall feed My people Israel, and you shall be a leader over Israel.

And David said on that day, Anyone who strikes the Jebusite, let him go by the water-shaft and take the lame and the blind, the hated of David's soul. On account of this they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

And David arose and went with all the people with him from beyond Baale of Judah, to bring up the ark of God from there, which is called by the Name, the Name of Jehovah of Hosts who dwells above the cherubs.

And it happened that when those who bore the ark of Jehovah had gone six steps, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.

And David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!

And David said to Michal, It was before Jehovah, who chose me before your father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of Jehovah, over Israel. And I danced before Jehovah.

And I will be still lower than this, and will be base in my own sight. And of the handmaids of whom you have spoken, with them I shall be had in honor.

And when your days are fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who shall come out of your bowels. And I will make his kingdom sure.

But My mercy shall not leave him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before you.